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Meet our 2018 Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge winners

Since we launched the Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge last year, we’ve seen cities make great strides. This year’s entrants are knowledgeable and committed, and they have large ambitions. They are moving beyond the ‘pilot phase’ to deploy strategic at-scale programs that will generate lasting benefits.

Read about their inspiring progress below. And make plans to join us at Smart Cities Week where you can hear from them directly. — Jennifer James

The Smart Cities Council has announced the 2018 winners of its Readiness Challenge: Birmingham, AL; Cary, NC; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville/Jefferson County, KY; and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The winning jurisdictions in the second-annual Readiness Challenge shared three traits:

They focused on breaking down silos to help departments provide better, more efficient service by working together.

They emphasized coordinated collaboration, not just internally, but also with the community and nearby regions.

They were also determined to use smart cities strategies to lift up underserved and vulnerable populations.

The five Readiness Challenge winners will receive a full year of expert, vendor-neutral mentoring plus an on-site Readiness Workshop custom-tailored to each community’s needs and priorities. They will also receive free products and services worth hundreds of thousands from leading organizations and Smart Cities Council partners, including Qualcomm, Battelle, SYNEXXUS, CompTIA and IES.

In addition to the five winners, Puerto Rico, which was one of the 10 finalists, was awarded its own special humanitarian grant in order to speed recovery after last year’s devastating hurricane.